


spend some time with you

by moonprism



Series: Don't U Wait No More [4]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Co-workers, Comfort, Developing Relationship, Friendship/Love, High School, M/M, POV Multiple, Slow Build, unlikely friends
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-13
Updated: 2017-03-27
Packaged: 2018-09-30 22:01:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10173299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonprism/pseuds/moonprism
Summary: Donghyuck and Jeno become an unlikely, uh,something?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hiiii. i have posted this finally. i started this around mid january but got really busy with work and college T_T. i also moved back in with my mom and i just... lol... 
> 
> title taken from jaden smith's song "fallen" bc i think it fits nohyuck's age group a lotttttt.
> 
> this is my first time ever writing third person point of view from two different characters' perspectives. so this fic is kind of an experiment. im sorry its not well balanced T__T
> 
> well here is a fic of boring teenage boys being boring teenage boys. i'm not a teenager anymore so like part of me really cant remember how teenagers act or talk to each other. i dont want to write "adults in teenager bodies" so im sorry if it comes off that way? im taking a break from writing nct dream member fic after i finish a noren fic for someone, ahah.
> 
>  **warnings**???: donghyuck doesnt have a filter with certain things, jeno thinks the word 'fuck' like once, donghyuck is another story. and i'm not going to pretend teenagers dont know what sex is
> 
> also heads up: this fic does not take place in korea (like all of my other ones haven't, but i wasn't explicit about it). i write all fics set in the US because that is where i'm from. i've never been to korea, i'm not korean, and i don't speak korean. i'm not going to write about it as if i was because i really don't want to make any embarrassing or culturally incorrect mistakes. that's... humiliating and not right.

“I’ve been rejected,” Jeno sighs, plopping into a cushioned booth chair with an uncomfortable, leathery squeak. His backpack falls to the multi colored carpeted floor once he shrugs it off, pressing his elbows into the tabletop. Their manager Dongyoung doesn’t even greet Jeno when he sees him.

“Excuse me, do I know you?” Donghyuck asks, furrowing his eyebrows and placing his chin between his pointer and thumb. Honestly, what the hell does Jeno want from _him_

“Shut up, Donghyuck,” Jeno says into his hands. They cover the expanse of his face, and his words come out in a weird, isolated echo against his palms. Donghyuck _may_ feel a little bad.

Donghyuck sets the black tub of dirty dishes on a newly cleaned table, creating a disruptive glass-against-glass knocking loud enough to startle a nervous customer sitting at a table not far from them. Donghyuck doesn’t even look apologetic. “Alright, I’ll bite,” Donghyuck tells him. “What’s up?” he asks, throwing himself into the opposite seat and resting an arm awkwardly on the booth’s back, legs splayed crudely open. He’s not all that close to Jeno, but they’ve known each other since middle school, have a few classes together currently, have same group of friends, _work together_.

“Gee, how kind of you,” Jeno replies sarcastically, one hand now supporting his chin.

“‘Gee,’” Donghyuck mimics, “guess you don’t want me to lend a friendly ear then. Damn.” He pretends to get up before Jeno speaks up again.

“Alright, alright,” Jeno says in defeat. “I kissed Jaemin.” It comes out a tone above a whisper, and Donghyuck, with wide eyes, decides not to mention that Mark left with Jaemin not even an hour before. “He kissed back, but he told me it didn’t feel right and said he wanted to go.”

“Oh,” is all Donghyuck says.

“You don’t sound surprised.”

“I don’t want to rub salt in the wound, dude,” Donghyuck begins, “but have you seen how attached Mark and Jaemin are in your entire life?” Donghyuck sits up and copies Jeno’s position: one elbow and hand propping up his chin with the other arm in his lap. Donghyuck can even admit to himself that he tried stomping out blossoming (more like weed sprouting) feelings for Mark before it got too serious. He’s done a good job. He’s proud of himself.

Jeno shouts defensively, “I thought he just liked Mark as a friend!” He gets quiet again, and Donghyuck feels bad one more time.

“Are you heartbroken?” Donghyuck asks. It’s not his business, and he’s not here to fix Jeno, but he understands. He unfortunately understands.

Jeno sits there for a second, contemplating.

“No,” he admits. “It would’ve been nice for it be returned, I guess.” Yeah, no shit.

“Look,” Donghyuck speaks up, “think of it this way.” And Jeno looks up and right into Donghyuck’s eyes. Donghyuck’s eyes dart to the side as quick as they had met Jeno’s. It’s awkward. “You get to keep both Mark and Jaemin as friends,” Donghyuck says to the table next to them. “They’ll always be your friends. Sometimes that’s better than losing someone in the process.” Because Donghyuck knows he would’ve lost Jaemin, someone he could actually consider a close friend for life (despite the teasing), if he had liked Mark, tried for Mark. Maybe even would’ve lost Mark eventually, even if it had been returned. There are sacrifices to make. Donghyuck would rather be Mark’s best friend than nothing.

“It still sucks,” Jeno says stubbornly.

Yeah, no shit. “No shit.” Donghyuck turns to Jeno. “You work tomorrow?”

“No, why?”

“Let’s do something.” God, Donghyuck can’t believe he even fucking said it.

Jeno snorts. “You and me? Hanging out together?”

“I know my good looks and amazing personality can be too much to be around, but do you want to fucking sulk or have a good time?”

Jeno gives in. “Alright. Where do you wanna meet?”

 

 

They meet at their work, Panera and all it’s middle class customer aimed glory, the next day, 12 p.m. It’s cold enough for jackets and maybe gloves, but Donghyuck’s fingers are gloveless and his scarf is left stuffed in the trunk of his Corolla that’s older than he is.

Jeno is waiting at the front under an umbrella table, not even sitting in a chair, hands shoved in his pockets. His head is covered in a woolly beanie, pretty tuft of fringe out, and his oversized jacket looks good on him. Donghyuck hates how readily he realizes how handsome Jeno is.

“Hey,” Donghyuck greets to him.

“Hey.”

It’s quiet. And awkward. They aren’t friends, and they don’t hang out alone. Donghyuck feels bad for Jeno, and he’s not sure why. Maybe because he understands, sort of. Some solidarity of nearly broken hearts by two people who ended up _together_ fueling his actions. Maybe Donghyuck wants somebody to relate to someone for once. He doesn’t know. Whatever.

“So…?” Jeno speaks up, eyebrows curiously raised and knitted at Donghyuck.

“Yeah?”

“What are we doing?”

“What do you want to do?”

“You seriously dragged me out here without any idea what we’re doing?”

“Calm down. This isn’t a date, bro. Why would I have to know what we were doing beforehand?” But Donghyuck still should have planned this better.

Jeno looks annoyed. “Okay, ‘bro,’” Jeno mocks, “we can’t just stand around here in the cold. Where we work of all freakin’ places. And I’m not spending my check eating this overpriced food.”

“Alright, alright,” Donghyuck says, raising his hands defensively. “Your car or mine?”

“I, uh,” Jeno says quietly, right hand moving up to scratch at his face sheepishly. “My mom drove me here.”

“Man, you’re so cute, dude,” Donghyuck laughs, and he isn’t even joking.

“Sh-shut up. I just don’t have a car yet.”

“I’m not making fun, I swear.” Donghyuck shoves his hands into the depths of his pockets and stretches the fabric forward. “My car is junky, but it drives. Usually.” Jeno’s eyes widen in panic. “Kidding.” He won’t tell him, at least immediately, that he’s only been driving for a few months, and that maybe he is a bad driver. Not immediately. He’ll probably (definitely) even find out himself.

Donghyuck takes the lead, Jeno following behind shortly, to his little champagne—or whatever—colored Corolla.

“How has this thing not died on you yet?” Jeno asks him as he makes his long trip down to the passenger’s seat, slamming the car door closed.

“I take care of it, because if I didn’t have a car I would be so fucked. And that’s not how I want to lose my virginity.” Donghyuck explains as he turns the key in the ignition, the fan belt making a quick, upset squeak under the hood because of the cold weather.

Jeno snorts. “You’re…”

“Funny? I know.” Donghyuck can’t stop cutting up with Jeno, and he’s not sure if it’s on manic drive to not make this awkward, or if he genuinely feels comfortable around the guy. It could be both. Maybe. He feels like they’re so _different_ from each other—there’s nothing similar about them, there really isn’t. And trying to find a legitimate similarity would be forcing it. Jeno is so _normal_ and collected and cool, and Donghyuck is wild and foul mouthed and says whatever he wants to.

“Unbelievable.”

The more Donghyuck thinks about it, the more he wonders how on Earth they could actually be friends. A lot of times it’s them picking fights with each other at the lunch table or during homeroom and fighting over meaningless tasks they each need to perform at work. Mark once said if this was anime, they would constantly have that comical, tense bolt of electricity connecting their eyes. Mark is lame, and no one ever asked him anyway.

Donghyuck puts his car in reverse.

 

 

 

 

 

Jeno isn’t sure where they’re going. He thinks Donghyuck isn’t sure either. The younger boy’s eyes are squinted, brows pushed together, probably thinking hard about where they should go, biting the inside of his cheek. His side profile is really soft, especially under that equally soft head of hair; and Jeno thinks that it’s almost unbelievable this is the same loud person who makes dick jokes at lunch and steals Hansol’s nametag out of the back at work when he forgets his own. He’s so concentrated (or maybe lost) that he doesn’t notice Jeno staring. _Jeno_ doesn’t notice Jeno staring—not until Donghyuck slams on brakes at a red light and Jeno lurches forward, forcing him to wrench his eyes from Donghyuck and to front to look out the windshield. Donghyuck throws his arm in front of Jeno to “save him” the way a loved one does in the same situation in order to keep you from flying out of your seat (as if the seatbelt didn’t do that, if not better than an arm would).

“God, dude,” Jeno says, leaning himself back against the seat.

Donghyuck retracts his arm, and smiles sheepishly. “I suck at driving.” No kidding.

“I can see that,” Jeno replies. He rests his elbow on the car door armrest, or whatever it is, and presses his cheek into his fist. “Where are we going?” Donghyuck can’t be just randomly driving around this side of town. They’re seventeen for god’s sake; Donghyuck probably doesn’t know how he’d get back home if he got lost. Jeno laughs inwardly at that.

“I wasn’t paying attention and didn’t know where we could go, so I kind of auto piloted to the direction of my house,” Donghyuck replies, glancing a split second out the corners of his eyes to Jeno. “I can take us anywhere, dude. I don’t care,” he adds.

And Jeno suddenly remembers that they’re hanging out. Like it actually _hits him_ that they’re attempting to spend time together. For some reason. Jaemin not returning Jeno’s feelings isn’t even that big of deal now that he’s slept on it—it sucks, it does. Okay, it sucks a lot, and he’d rather avoid everyone on Earth today.. But cancelling on Donghyuck didn’t feel right. Why shouldn’t they learn to tolerate each other? Jeno can stand another person in his life. But Jeno is still lost—doesn’t get why Donghyuck asked, or even cared to ask.

“Why did you ask me to hang out with you?” Jeno asks, ignoring what Donghyuck said. Jeno expects Donghyuck to get offended, retaliate or something at the question. Get defensive. But he doesn’t.

“I thought you’d like hanging out with someone who wasn’t there or involved,” Donghyuck says, eyes forward. The light changes, and Donghyuck eases the car up. That isn’t what Jeno expected, but he’s not really sure what he was expecting. ‘Because I feel fucking sorry for your pathetic, ass’ or something similar. Which, hey, might be the case still (even if Donghyuck doesn’t say it out loud).

Donghyuck’s change is uncomfortable for Jeno, and he doesn’t comment on what’s said and only replies with “You’re acting different” and a forced laugh.

“I just understand, I guess.”

“I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.” His voice comes out hard and a little angry. But he feels bad for it immediately. Jeno realizes he actually doesn’t _know_ who Donghyuck is talking about. He never said exactly who, and they aren’t exactly friends for it to have ever come up in a moment of intimacy that friends sometimes share. Like how he’s revealed to Renjun his conflicting feelings about romance in text messages late at night, or talking in his neighbor (and friend) Jisung’s kitchen on Saturday evenings while Jisung’s parents are out doing whatever adults do—grocery shop, or something.

“Someone fucking has to,” Donghyuck bites back, turning to him with a forced smile. Ah, there it is. And ah, he’s maybe right. Maybe he needs someone to feel sorry for him besides himself. Maybe it’s a little comforting. It’s okay to be selfish. He’s right. No one else is here to feel sorry for him but himself (and now Donghyuck).

Jeno rolls his eyes in response anyway.

Suddenly a chiming ringing muffled by the fabric of Donghyuck’s sweatshirt obnoxiously mixes with the car radio. “Oh, shit, that’s my mom,” Donghyuck states, both hands on the wheel anxiously.

Jeno doesn’t expect what Donghyuck says after that, so all he does is say “Okay?” Why is that information something Jeno needs to know.

“Can you get it for me? Please, dude. I know that’s weird,” he says, “but I’ve only had my license for three months, and I’m not ready to take both hands of the wheel in forty five mile an hour traffic.”

Jeno blanks. “What?” The phone continues ringing. “Like, answer it?”

“Yes, answer it!” Donghyuck yells, exasperated.

“Uh,” Jeno lets out as he reaches for Donghyuck’s pocket. The phone rings one more time but cuts out.

“Oh well,” Donghyuck says. “Maybe she’ll call back when I’m not driv—.” The phone starts ringing again, the annoying electronic jingle almost grating at this point. “Shit, it must be important,” he mutters, and its anxious.

Without Donghyuck asking again, Jeno reaches again, albeit hesitantly, for the phone in Donghyuck’s front pocket. It’s at the furthest left side of the pocket and Jeno has to uncomfortably dig his hand towards it, and shyly feels at Donghyuck’s stomach for it. This is... _Fucking_ awkward—excuse Jeno’s French. Before almost accidentally pushing the phone out of Donghyuck’s pocket into the abyss between the seat and car door, he grabs at it pathetically with weird fingers and pulls his arm out.

Jeno swipes open the touch screen on Donghyuck’s smart phone, “Mom” in white letters at the top of the LCD screen. Putting the phone to his ear, he _does_ answer it, but in Korean. And Donghyuck snorts, Jeno seeing his eyebrows knit and lips puckered into a taunting face.

“Did you just answer in Korean?” Jeno hears Donghyuck ask quietly and amused. Does Donghyuck not use Korean at home?

“Hello?” a woman’s voice comes from the speaker. “Donghyuck?”

“This is his,” Jeno pauses and looks at Donghyuck briefly, but Donghyuck is still focused on driving wherever, “coworker, Jeno. He’s driving and told me to answer for him,” Jeno tells her, but in English this time, seeing as that’s what she replied in.

Donghyuck butts in, “Just put it on speaker.” Oh, right. Yeah. So Jeno does.

“Mom,” Donghyuck says to let her know she’s been put on speaker.

“Donghyuck,” her voice blares out the small phone speaker, staticy like an old radio almost. “My car isn’t starting, and Grandma needs me to come over.” She says please in forced cute Korean, and Donghyuck closes his eyes for a split second. “I need to borrow yours until Dad gets home from work.”

“Yeah, of course,” Donghyuck replies casually. “I’m almost there.” And he takes the next yield onto a side street.

“Thank you. Thank you,” she cries. “Best son,” she says with a laugh.

“Only son,” Donghyuck retorts playfully. Only child? That explains a lot about Donghyuck, like, as a person, Jeno thinks. The call ends, and they come into an area (not necessarily a formal neighborhood) with mix matched houses and yards of all kinds and personalities.

“Sorry it ended up like this,” Donghyuck says to Jeno a little after. “You don’t care you have to come over right? I’m sure she’d take you home on the way to my grandma’s.” Jeno thinks that’s fine, even if he feels like this whole thing has kind of been a waste of time at this point. He opens his mouth to answer as he digs for his house key in his own jacket and closes his eyes when he realizes it’s not there.

“I left my house key in my mom’s car,” Jeno says more to his lap than to Donghyuck. Of course he did. “I’m sorry, dude,” Jeno sighs. His mom won’t be home for another four hours. Four hours. Or until Donghyuck’s mom gets home. Which is hopefully first.

“I asked you to hang out. Don’t be sorry. You just have to suck it up, I guess. We can find shit to do. Dick around at the convenience store or whatever until your mom can pick you up.”

“How long will your mom take?”

“Uh.” Donghyuck makes a face as if he’s about to give an _extremely_ unfortunate answer. He does. “When grandma ‘needs mom to come over,’ she means like… stay the night.” Donghyuck says, and his face says ‘sorry about the shitty inconvenience, but honestly it’s not my problem.’

 _Four entire hours_ with Donghyuck. Jeno hopes they make it out alive, or like, at least himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to only be two parts, and i promised myself i wouldn't make this slow burn. but i ended up not being able to shut up. so i guess now this fic is slow burn.
> 
> i didnt want to post this chapter (now that im fucking doing chapters now because i cant seem to shut up while writing!!!!!!!!!!!!) so soon but i dont want it to get too long T___T i want this to be an easy read i guess. and i feel like posting one long, utterly boring fic in just two parts would kill someone.

Donghyuck eventually turns onto his familiar street of old ranch-style homes built in, like, the 1940’s. The neighborhood is relatively _cute_ , and all of his neighbors are old couples who have been married for fifty-four years or middle aged people whose kids are all in college now (one of which is his neighbor, Ten, who also knows most of the older guys Donghyuck knows). Their yards have cute old people decorations and fences, so Donghyuck’s parents try to fit in by having garden decorations and this stained glass bird bath in the center (at least it’s more tasteful than flamingos and gnomes). The only people Donghyuck’s age who live in his neighborhood are two girls who live next door to each other, and one next to Donghyuck. They wave when they see him but usually only spend time together. That’s how it goes, he guesses. 

He and Jeno don’t speak again until Donghyuck pulls into his slanted (almost dangerously so) driveway slowly. He puts the car in park and lifts the emergency brake just in case. He wishes he could trust his car, but honestly, he can’t. Not after that time it rolled into the middle of his street. Thank God it was day time, and it didn’t roll into a mailbox or, like, a fucking person. 

“We’re here,” Donghyuck says as he cranks up the emergency brake, but leaves his car running. They’re parked behind Donghyuck’s mom’s (apparently) broken down car. He doesn’t blame that poor thing, honestly. She’s probably had it since she was in college. Rest in peace, he thinks. 

“Is your mom going to be okay with me being over without her there?”

Donghyuck furrows his eyebrows. What kind of stupid question. “Yeah? Why wouldn’t she?”

“I was just asking, Christ. Not all parents are okay with it? Don’t be a dick.” 

“Right, sorry, sorry,” Donghyuck says, not very sorry at all. “But, yeah, she doesn’t care. Like, as long as we don’t smoke in the house and light something on fire,” he tells Jeno as they finally get out of the car, Donghyuck leaving his door open. Donghyuck guides them through the grass (dying from the cold weather) and up the two steps to his front porch.

“Those rules sound specific and like they were made together,” Jeno replies suspiciously. 

“Listen,” Donghyuck says defensively, “it was an accident!”

“You’ve smoked?!” Jeno almost yells, and Donghyuck’s eyes widen in shock. Does Donghyuck come off like a delinquent or something? Damn! 

“What? No! God, dude.” Donghyuck fumbles for his keys in his jacket but realizes he’s left them in the ignition, so he knocks on his front door. “It was Taeyong, totally by accident.” And he didn’t set anything _important_ on fire, just the kitchen curtains above the sink (and the window was open)! Can Donghyuck’s mom please hurry.

“The older guys come over to your house?” Jeno asks curiously as they wait in the cold, teeth chattering and noses turning pink once again. It’s beginning to bite at Donghyuck uncomfortably.

“Only sometimes because Ten lives next door. Sort of. Like, his parents live there, so technically he does? Did? So he goes over there a lot. And my mom and dad go out of town a lot, so they’d like—”

“Babysit you?” Jeno asks, smirk on his face.

“Sh-shut up. No.”

“Sounds like things get out of hand easily,” Jeno comments. Donghyuck’ll fuckin’ say. But it’s fun. And it makes him feel cool that the older guys come over to his house (even if he won’t necessarily admit it out loud or in formal thought). Donghyuck is a simple teenager, what can he say?

Donghyuck can’t say anything more because the door opens, his mother standing in the frame of the door, obviously rushed.

“Thanks so much, kiddo,” she says to him. Sliding her large purse onto her shoulder, she presses her own keys into Donghyuck’s person, and he grabs at them. Her glasses are threatening to fall off her face as she presses a ‘goodbye’ pat on Donghyuck’s shoulder as she fast-walks to the car. “Sorry I can’t meet your friend!” she yells from the car door. “Please stay safe! I’ll be back tomorrow! Dad will be home tomorrow night!” she yells to him and plops into the driver’s seat, slamming the car door quickly and putting the car in reverse to drive off (safely, of course).

“Your mom is…” Jeno trails off.

“Weird? Yeah,” Donghyuck replies, and he closes his front door with them still outside. He turns and walks back into the grass.

“Wait, we aren’t going inside?” Jeno rushes after him.

“I would seriously die for a cherry icee from the gas station,” Donghyuck says to Jeno, _almost_ (basically) pleading him. Jeno rolls his eyes. “And we need to kill time _some way_.” It’s been a weird… last hour. (Wait, only one hour?)

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Jeno replies. He adjusts his beanie and stuffs his hands in his pockets. 

  
  
  


They make it out of the neighborhood and to a busy suburban road with one neighborhood on either side it, the road being the only factor that makes them into two separate neighborhoods. The local university and an elementary school aren’t far from Donghyuck’s house, so the area he lives in, even though pretty residential, stays busy with local school and work traffic and traffic heading out to the boulevard past the campus. Even though there is plenty of traffic, it’s still a “neighborhood-like” road and safe enough for them to walk near, and because of it being a residential area, the gas station isn’t far at all. Maybe ten minute walk on a good day. 

The sun is out, so much so that the temperature is bearable to walk in, and Donghyuck is thankful for it (even though he’s literally on his way to buy a frozen drink from the corner store). 

It’s quiet for a while, at least a good three minutes, until Donghyuck can’t stand it anymore and speaks up. He doesn’t know much about Jeno and figures, like, maybe he should ask about him, or something.

“So, do you, like, have friends?” _Yikes, that came out bad._

__

Jeno grimaces and his eyebrows meet almost angrily. “Yes?” he replies, eyes squinting briefly.

“Besides Jaemin,” Donghyuck explains. 

“Screw you.” But Jeno continues coolly, “Yeah, my best friend’s name is Renjun. We met in ninth grade homeroom.” Donghyuck doesn’t know Renjun that well, other than the fact that he seems exactly like someone Jeno would be good friends with. He wonders if Renjun knows about Jeno’s rejection from Jaemin. Well, probably, since they’re best friends. But if that’s the case, Donghyuck is surprised Jeno isn’t hanging out with Renjun instead. “And my neighbor, Jisung. He’s two years younger, but we’ve been neighbors his whole life.”

“What’s he doing today? Renjun, I mean.” Donghyuck really is seriously surprised Jeno picked to hang out with Donghyuck over someone he’s probably already spilled his guts to in depth over the situation.

“Are you wondering why Renjun isn’t ‘comforting me’?” Jeno laughs, but it sounds a little bitter (but not that the bitterness is directed at Renjun, more likely it’s directed to Donghyuck).

“You’re sharp, kid.”

“I’m older than you.” Jeno pauses. Donghyuck didn’t know that. He figured they were born in the same year since they’re both seniors, though. Maybe Jeno was born in ‘99 like Mark? And how does Jeno even know Donghyuck’s birthday. 

Jeno continues.“But he was with me when ‘it’ happened. Kinda felt humiliated about it. He probably understands why I’d rather not deal with it today.” Yeah, that makes sense. 

“Sorry for, like, being nosy, I guess.” But, hey, Donghyuck is curious. 

“Whatever, it’s fine. I’m the one who came to you after it happened.” Oh, shit. Yeah. That’s true.

“Why did you? I’m the last person I thought you’d come to.” Donghyuck looks at the sidewalk and purposefully steps on a crunchy, deformed leaf.

“We were in the area, you know. And after it happened, Panera was the only familiar and, like, ‘comfortable’ place?” Jeno sets the word “comfortable” off in air quotes with his fingers. “I guess. So after sulking alone for, like, a good twenty minutes in the Target parking lot, I walked over there. Not to be mean, I guess, but you were the only one not doing anything and knew who I would be talking about personally.” 

Donghyuck isn’t offended, though. I mean, he gets that totally. 

“Well, what about you?” Jeno inquires.

“What about me?” Donghyuck shoots back. Please don’t let this be about his own reason for heartbreak (or close to it).

“Do you, like, have friends?” Jeno mocks Donghyuck’s earlier question. Donghyuck glares at Jeno’s cat-like mouth dressed up in a shit-eating smirk, his eyes in crescents. _That little shit._

“Nah,” Donghyuck says truthfully, though. “Mark, Jaemin, the older guys, I guess.” Donghyuck would consider them friends, he guesses.

Jeno changes the subject quickly, though. “How are you going to get to work tomorrow if you don’t have a car?”

“I took this second week of winter break off,” Donghyuck replies. He can see the tall gas station sign from where they are, and the roof of it is coming into view. “I requested it early in the year so I would get approved.” Donghyuck can’t believe it’s already January. Damn, in six months it’ll be two months until their freshman year of college. Gross.

Jeno laughs. “Ah, makes sense. I took off, too, just because I knew Mom would want to spend time together on Christmas. We don’t celebrate it really since we aren’t Christian. But she didn’t have to work, and my sister came home from college.”

“So you work this week, then?” Not that it matters to Donghyuck, but whatever. Small talk.

“Just Saturday and Sunday.” Donghyuck’s eyes bulge at that. “I know right?” Jeno responds to Donghyuck’s shock. “They cut my hours so much because they need the hours for the trainee. He’s barely sixteen. I don’t know _how_ he got hired.”

“Right? Child labor, or something,” Donghyuck laughs (even though _both_ of them got hired at not much older than sixteen and aren’t even much older than seventeen). And Jeno laughs, too. Donghyuck might feel a little good over it. This is okay.

They finally arrive to the curb of the gas station, cars at the pumps and people standing under the point-of-service station’s edge where it meets the store itself. It’s pretty busy, given that it’s around lunchtime on a weekday.

Jingling sounds go off when Donghyuck opens the door, and the familiar girl behind the counter waves at Donghyuck when she sees him.

“Do you come here a lot?” Jeno asks at that when they make it to the food station corner. It’s a mess: food crumbs and small drink spills on the counter. Maybe a fork or two laying around. The little hotdog oven makes a scary electrical sound, but a man still risks his life by taking one out of it, anyway. Donghyuck doesn’t blame the guy. 

“Yeah,” Donghyuck replies. “It’s not a far walk, and sometimes you want to go somewhere that isn’t home, you know.” Not that home is bad. His parents are great. Donghyuck doesn’t know what he means, honestly. Just that’s what it feels like. Maybe lonely?

“Yeah,” is all Jeno says.

“So, do you wanna get an icee, too?” Donghyuck asks.

“I left my debit card at home,” Jeno sighs. “I remembered in the car on the way to Panera, and it was too late to ask my mom to turn around.”

“I got you, dude.” What’s an extra $1.09?

The icee machine sits there in all its gas-station-centerpiece glory. The backlit image above it is faded from years of use, light bleaching out the pigment and leaving it to glow in a weird greenish white past the discolored blue, white, and red. Lids are mixed up from their rightful places in the the straw and lid container, and the only straws and cups left are the ones meant for the largest icee size. Fuck, Donghyuck doesn’t think he brought enough change to afford one big icee, let alone afford two big icees. 

Apparently an extra $1.09 is asking too much. 

Wait, did Donghyuck even bring any money?

“Uhhh,” Donghyuck draws out suddenly. He reaches his hand into his pocket and finds an extremely crumpled washed-and-dried dollar in its deep reaches. Apparently nine whole cents is too much. “Do you have any change?” Donghyuck shows the pathetic dollar to Jeno. 

Jeno’s face falls, and he narrows his eyes, digging for any coins all the while. Miraculously, there’s one entire quarter in one of his pockets (and a fortune from a fortune cookie that falls to the nasty tiled floor). He lets the quarter slide into Donghyuck’s palm from his own, and Donghyuck closes his hand into a fist.

“Sweet, now this trip won’t be a waste,” Donghyuck says, pocketing the (very clean) distressed dollar and Jeno’s quarter. He yanks a cup from the holder, placing it under the nozzle, and pulls the lever of the cherry flavored dispenser. But they’re both paying for it. Are they sharing this? Would getting two straws be weirder than getting one? Donghyuck doesn’t even know how he’d address this situation with Mark, one of his best friends, let alone someone he isn’t really friends with. It probably hasn’t even occurred to Jeno. That, or he really doesn’t care.

Once it’s full, Jeno waiting patiently beside him still, Donghyuck clicks a domed clear lid on the top of it. Reaching his hand for the straw (straws?! Donghyuck doesn’t know!), he hesitates. 

“What’s the matter?” Jeno asks, one eyebrow quirked.

Donghyuck decides to be honest. “Are we sharing this?”

“Well, I paid for part of it, yeah,” Jeno states. Well, he’s not wrong.

“Only nine cents of it,” Donghyuck replies rudely. Not that he minds sharing (because he doesn’t), it’s just that nine cents isn’t shit compared to his entire dollar. Jeno doesn’t have to be high and mighty about it. Damn. Jeno thinking he’s entitled to half an icee he only contributed nine cents to. Come on. Donghyuck doesn’t care, but it’s only true. 

“Do you want my nine cents or not, dick.” 

“FINE.” Donghyuck pauses. He wants this cherry icee. “Yes.”

Fine.”

  
  
  
It ended up being two straws instead of one. Donghyuck assumes that was probably the natural option. Honestly, he wouldn’t know.  
  
  


The walk back is… fine? Not that it wouldn’t be. They pass the icee back and forth between their cold hands after finally establishing an unspoken plan of how to share it, red straws sticking out like antennas. Jeno’s mouth stained red pretty quickly, and it cute almost. Donghyuck smiles. 

“What’s funny?” Jeno asks at Donghyuck’s seemingly random reaction. 

“Your face.”

“Excuse me, I’m handsome,” Jeno rebuts and adjusts his beanie (but runs his hands over his face to get whatever Donghyuck is possibly referring to off of it).

“You’re funny, dude,” Donghyuck says to him. Jeno rolls his eyes, but his cheeks are a little red from embarrassment of being caught. 

A text tone chirps from Jeno’s jean pocket. Donghyuck instinctively turns his head at the sound, watching Jeno take out the phone with his eyes going wide at the message. He replies extremely fast, thumb flying and stuttering over the touchscreen keyboard. Donghyuck can tell it was Jaemin who messaged him. Donghyuck wonders how exactly Jeno is taking Mark and Jaemin being together. Jeno hasn’t brought it up, though. And hasn’t really displayed anything completely obvious. He looks as though he’s taking it surprisingly well for being dumped by someone who ended up dating the least suspected (in Jeno’s eyes, anyway) person imaginable. 

Donghyuck wasn’t surprised when Mark told him last night. He called him around ten, voice shaking and laughing, almost hysterical. _Jaemin is, like, my b-boyfriend, dude._ And Donghyuck was smiling, too, because Mark is his best friend and he could be nothing but happy for him. _Holy shit, really? That’s awesome, man._ Donghyuck is glad that he isn’t in love with Mark, because this could have been painful. At least Donghyuck was over it, and had been for a long time now, but Jeno’s wound is still open.

How could he be taking it this well? To get rejected is one thing. To learn the person you wanted to be with is dating another person not even hours later after the fact is another.

Donghyuck is proud of the guy, honestly. So he tells him that, albeit pretty absentmindedly. 

“What?” Jeno’s eyebrows push together. 

“For taking it well. Glad you and Jaemin can still talk like normal.”

“Dude, I told you. I’m not heartbroken over it. I just…”

Really liked him. I know, dude.” Donghyuck pauses. “But to take them being together this well. That takes balls, I guess.”

“What?” Jeno turns to Donghyuck. 

Wait, what does Jeno mean ‘what.’

Donghyuck mutters, “Shit.” He closes his eyes for a few seconds. Donghyuck is an idiot.

"Jaemin is dating Mark?” Jeno says it louder than Donghyuck thought Jeno could ever speak, and it’s almost jarring. “Jaemin didn’t even tell me!” Jeno says more to himself than to Donghyuck. “I thought we were friends enough for him to tell me,” he says quietly. Donghyuck doesn’t blame Jaemin for not telling Jeno, though. It’s just one of those things that needs time.

“He probably wasn’t ready yet. Give him a little bit. He isn’t an idiot. He knows he probably hurt your feelings,” Donghyuck tries to explain. The icee in his hand has turned to liquid slosh at the bottom of the cup.

Jeno makes an angry sound in his throat and presses the heel of his palm to his eye. Donghyuck feels like an asshole. Donghyuck is the one who just kind of tore open a wound on his own. (Even if the same wound would have been made eventually by learning about this later. It just sucks to be the person who did it.)

“Who told you?!” Jeno sounds really hurt, and Donghyuck doesn’t blame him.

“Mark,” Donghyuck replies. “I’m sorry.” And he really is.

“It’s... it’s fine.” But Donghyuck knows it isn’t. Jeno changes the subject quickly, probably not wanting to dwell on it anymore than he has to. “What are we doing when we get back to your house?”

“I have a PS3,” Donghyuck tells him. But all his games are one player. Except _that_ one. 

“What games do you have?”

“None that we can play together. Except Dead or Alive 5.” Which, even though really fun, isn’t really… uh, suitable. 

“Is that, like, a horror game?”

Donghyuck throws his head back to laugh. What an _innocent_ response. “Oh, buddy. You’re in for something.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this fic will go somewhere. but it might take a while for it to get there. this is officially the longest piece i'll have written in my fic career T__T i still have a lot of things i want to cover in this fic and i didnt realize how long it would get until i wrote out this scene.... and realized i still had so much more i wanted to say. i'm sorry this is really boring omg. but maybe that's fine. sometimes there just needs to be that one, boring longfic in a pairing's tag. some people like that i guess.

**Author's Note:**

> im sorry if u didnt like my jeno! i like writing him this way. i dont read a lot of nct fic so im not sure how people like characterizing him. 
> 
> sorry i dont tag my fics like i probably should also ;; i feel like tags could give away the entire fic, so i try to limit what i tag. even though there are tags for a few tropes in the fic, i felt like they would be spoilers. T__T
> 
>  
> 
> comments n kudos are appreciated! this pairing is cute, but not ~extremely common~. but i think they work well together LOL  
> i really.... don't know how long this fic is going to be. i wanted it to be 3k only, but that didnt happen. i really don't know exactly where this is going to go? so im posting what i have prematurely. sorry im a failure everyone. i mean i know the ending. but whats in between that? and how long will that in between? stay tuned.


End file.
